Executive Summary

Foundation staff familiar with SCP-1050 will know of the apocalyptic warning carved on SCP-1050-1. As the message appears identical in all languages present on SCP-1050-1, the majority consensus of the research staff is that the message was originally written by, or on behalf of, the society described in the message, in whose language it is the original iteration of the message was carved. While the exact nature of the threat about which SCP-1050 warns is subject to heated scholarly debate within the Foundation research community, ample evidence has been found to support the historical existence of the society described within SCP-1050's message. The nature of this historical society (designated HS20745A/1050) is the subject of this report; the specific yet conjectural details of the society's downfall are included only as they are relevant to understanding the society itself.

Description

HS20745A/1050 is the general designation for a global prehistorical civilization of Homo sapiens sapiens which declined approximately 55,000 years before present (BP), as well as for any evidence supporting the existence of the same. Most of the Foundation's present knowledge of HS20745A/1050 is conjectural, and there is scholarly debate within the Foundation research community as to the validity of most of the conclusions.

Known Evidence: To date, a series of artifacts and skeletal remains have been found which support the existence of HS20745A/1050.

HS20745A/1050-001: Carving of message on obsidian, approximately 55.5 thousand years old. Language shows unusual linguistic relation to early Latin. Original location of origin unknown, retrieved from Nazi research team in 194█. Message references a cataclysm which all but destroyed HS20745A/1050. (Full translation of text appended below.) See also SCP-1050.

HS20745A/1050-002: Cache of iron and stone tools, 58 thousand years old, discovered in Nevada, United States. Several tools marked with HS20745A/1050 script characters.

Photographs of Known Evidence

HS20745A/1050-001 Text Translation

The text of HS20745A/1050-001 is written in a language which linguistically closely resembles a hypothetical ancestor of Old Latin and Faliscan, especially in terms of grammar, but some of the vocabulary suggests the language may have been at least in part responsible for the creation of not only Proto-Indo-European, but also Proto-Afroasiatic, Proto-Anatolian, Proto-Mayan, and Proto-TibetoBurman. The alphabet appears unrelated to any other known script. The following are a side-by-side comparison of the text. On the left is the literal translation of the text, while the right is what is definitively known to be the Modern English version of the text.

Literal Translation

Known Content of Text as Written in English

Beware the Destroyers. They come from where no stars extend the realm of darkness by the millions. They sleep and wait for a thousand generations. Great nations rise and flourish. Peace there and prosperity. Follows the dark times then they return. They cull and burn. Warped, larger than any man besides, beyond pale and natural births. Every nail, and more, all the arms welts on hands of the heathens brutes as pointed barbed with iron. It is said honed iron hard enough not there is to penetrate through them, which cut iron time proofed caked claws blood theirs. As before and cut by the scythe armies are grass – ten thousand men of the army Suhdom Amorah it is said one between rising and setting sun violently dragged away. Heroes go out and are slain. Lightning and fire from the sky rained trembled to its foundations earth. They are as the flood, strong flood obliterates mighty nations and empires. People pray for liberation by the gods. The gods fight the Destroyers, but in vain their labors. Iapetos, Ausare, Ehcatl, Souchang – all perished. Destroyers are to the gods as the gods are to men are to insects: cold vast unsympathetic. The wise flee Them, the lucky escape. Fifty score ships great were sent out to seek refuge from Them; only lead by Satyavrata, Unapishtim, Noach, and Deucalion escaped. The Dark Ones conquer those before Them. Wherefore they existed prior to prior was. They now slumber. They will return. Beware the Destroyers. Proclaimed by Legatus Maximus Romulus, the year 13,599,890,160.

Beware the Destroyers. They come by the millions from the Realm of Darkness which extends where no stars shine. For a thousand generations They slumber, lying in wait. Great nations rise and flourish. There is peace and prosperity. Then comes the Dark Times; then They Return. They cull and burn. They are warped, and move beyond the pale, bigger than any man, unnatural births. Every nail, claw-scale and spur, every spike and welt on the hand of those heathen brutes is as barbed steel. It is said there is no honed iron hard enough to pierce Them through, no time proofed blade that can cut Their brutal blood caked claws. Armies are raised and cut down like grasses before a scythe – it is said the armies of Amorah and Suhdom, each ten thousand strong, were swept away between a single rising and setting sun. Heroes come forth and are slaughtered. Lightning and fire rain from the sky and the whole earth trembles. They are as a deluge, a powerful flood that washes away entire mighty nations and empires. The people pray for deliverance from the gods. The gods fight the Destroyers, but their efforts are in vain. Iapetos, Ausare, Ehecatl, Souchang – all perished. The Destroyers are to the gods as the gods are to men and men are to insects: cold and vast and unsympathetic. The wise flee Them; the lucky escape. Fifty score great vessels were launched to seek refuge from Them; only those led by Satyavrata, Unapishtim, Noach, and Deucalion escaped. The Dark Ones vanquish all before Them. They have come before since before time began. Now They slumber. They will return. Beware the Destroyers. Proclaimed by Legatus Maximus Romulus, in the year 13,599,890,160.

Literal Translation

Known Content of Text as Written in English

Current Theory Regarding HS20745A/1050

Note: These are necessarily conjectures, based on available evidence.

The denizens of the society now designated HS20745A/1050 referred to themselves as the "Paplorm" (singular "Papli"; this is believed to be the origin of the Latin word "populus", whose linguistic origin was previously unknown).

Technology

The Paplorm were an Iron Age society. However, some knowledge and use of anomalies is suggested in recovered texts, possibly indicating some technology more advanced than typically found in Iron Age cultures may have been in use. It is doubtful that SCP-1050-1 was created by the Paplorm, as the technology required for obsidian carving with the precision found on the obelisk exceeds that which can be obtained through modern, 21st century manufacturing techniques. Additionally, there is no evidence the Paplorm were sufficiently advanced in physical cosmology to identify the age of the universe to the nearest Earth year. It seems more plausible that the obelisk was created by entities unknown who simply chose to inscribe the message in a written language existing at the date of the object's creation. This would also explain why no other Paplorm texts exhibit use of a calendar year eleven digits in length. Regardless, and despite this speculation, the precise origins of SCP-1050-1 remain unknown at this time.

There is clear evidence of agriculture on a wide scale contemporary to the Paplorm. Textual evidence indicates the existence of cities, nations, and empires (distinct from one another, as indicated by three separate terms in the same passage of text), and strongly suggests the Paplorm were not the only (or necessarily even the dominant) society of their time. Road-building comparable in technology to that later done by the Romans is suggested to have been done either by the Paplorm or their contemporaries. Given the wide geographic range of HS20745A/1050 artifact sites and textual reference to sea travel, the Paplorum were seafarers capable of regular transoceanic travel.

Religion

The Paplorm were polytheistic, describing their gods as "cold, vast, and unsympathetic", but also as mortal. In this, their religion is highly unusual for early human civilizations. These gods were seen as preferable and distinctly identifiable from a similarly or more powerful group of beings they opposed. Wars between groups of deities is not at all uncommon in early religions.

Government

The Paplorm were ruled by Legates, who were apparently regional governors. Textual reference suggest the Legates were drawn from a societal class whose title is linguistically the antecedent of either "priests" or "philosophers" or "scientists", or some combination thereof. Unlike modern, post-Enlightenment societies, evidence suggests the means by which the population could be convinced of something was not by reasoned argument but rather by appeal to authority. Whether the priest/philosopher/scientist class was different is unknown. There is also reference to the position of Senos (singular, plural unknown), believed to be a high public office appearing in the capital city, but the exact role of individuals holding this rank is not yet well understood.

Known Individuals in Government

The following is a list of individuals believed to have existed within HS20745A/1050, contemporary with the last generation prior to the Paplorm's decline. [Note: Does not include individuals solely listed in SCP-1050-1.]

Publius Albus - Senos (lit: "old"; believed to be a high public office) in Paplorm capital city of Kauput, Vespuccia.

Lucan Cloelius - Legatus Maximus (regional governor) of Auster.

Romulus Silvius - Legatus Minimus (deputy regional governor) of Semotus. Believed to have later been promoted to Legatus Maximus, and thus author of SCP-1050-1. Relation to Remus Silvius suspected.

Gaius Julius - Ab Pontifex Actis Pontifex (lit: "high priest/philosopher/scientist of the proceedings"; believed to be highest ranking member of priest/philosopher/scientist caste). Resided in Lakwarabiae capital city of Erum. Believed to be in charge of Erum Library.

Conjectured Geography of HS20745A/1050

Based on translations of tablets found at HS20745A/1050-006, the following is believed to be approximate geography of the Paplorm society.

Regional Name

Capital City

Believed Modern Day Location

Notes

Vespuccia

Kauput

Northern North America; exact location unknown. All direct evidence of this province's existence would have been destroyed by glacial advances during the last ice age.

Location of HS20745A/1050-002 may have been part of this region. Records indicate this was the capital region of the Paplorm society.

Arukae

Yabaan

Northern South America, possibly Venezuela or Guyana.

Patagonia

Xohnut

Argentina.

HS20745A/1050-003 located in this region.

Auster

Sahull

Australia and Indonesia.

Most of the Auster region is believed to be submerged, having existed on the coast while sea levels were substantially lower.

Liben

Rosladamma

East Central Africa.

Lakwarabiae

Erum

Arabian Peninsula.

HS20745A/1050-006 was located here. Records suggest the Arabian Peninsula was far more fertile during the Paplorm age.

Teng

Zou

China, near the coast of the Yellow Sea.

Semotus

Dubr

Southern Europe.

The province's name, "Semotus", translates as "remote". It is conceivable that this region was the last to be collapse during the unknown cataclysm responsible for the end of the Pleistocene Iron Age, resulting in the late survival of Romulus Silvius, the Legate responsible for the SCP-1050-1 message.

Population Size and Decline

Evidence suggests a global population of at minimum several million (given the references to the fielding and subsequent obliteration of armies of 10,000 men, presumably not including slaves or camp followers) at the height of the Paplorm civilization. Whether this population was solely Homo sapiens sapiens or also included the populations (and conjectured organized societies) of H. floresiensis, H. neanderthalensis, and/or Denisova hominin is unknown. What is known is that according to mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome DNA evidence of the modern population, the global population of Homo sapiens sapiens declined rapidly to as low as 2,000 individuals by the start of the Upper Paleolithic, 50,000 years ago. This decline in the global population of H. sapiens sapiens represents a minimum attrition of 98%, possibly as high or higher than 99.95%. The relationship between the downfall and disappearance of the HS20745A/1050 Iron Age societies, including but not limited to the Paplorm, and the human population bottleneck of the early Upper Paleolithic, cannot be proven with available evidence.